We've launched the new forums! Read more here

College to the Pros

Tadashi70

Tadashi70

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
Messages
62,648
Reaction score
385
Location
Orlando
Handicap
2.7
Jay Wright coached the Villanova Wildcats to their second NCAA national championship in three years. It’s rumored that he will make the jump to the NBA next season. I think this is a bad move but I know the allure of the NBA is tough to pass up.

We have not seen a great deal of success from college coaches to pro coaches in the NBA. We’ve seen more success in the NFL but it doesn’t always translate between the two leagues. Why is that? What are your thoughts as to why successful college coaches don’t fare well in the Pro ranks.
 
Because the pros are adults who make more money than the coach. That means the coach can't control the players and players can effectively do what they want.
 
My initial reaction would be that college kids are much more coachable than pro athletes. I would think that a different type of skill set is required to deal with someone that has a gauranteed multi-million dollar contract versus one that is trying to keep make it to the next level and to keep their scholarship.
 
It's an entirely different game, culture, organization, atmosphere, strategy, etc., going from college to the pros in basketball and football. Having to recruit players based on your university and program is vastly different than free agency and drafting, the list goes on and on.
 
Accountability. How do you hold grown men making more money than you u accountable? How do you gain their respect?
 
For me I think it's a translation issue. When you coach a big time team like Nova, your recruiting pipeline is strong, your program is rich, your AD and school are bought in. Your coaching takes the team to that next level. But two things in the NBA. one, you're dealing with cream of the crop. It's like you're playing Kansas every night in the NBA. AND 2: the team you go to is looking for a coach for a reason. Generally because the team is in or about to be in a rebuild. These things paired with pace and having to be involved in a lot more political nonsense, and manage player personality can all be tough on someone. All that said, another big thing is in NCAA you are coaching kids who are wanting an opportunity. In the NBA, the players generally feel that they are giving the organization the opportunity to win and/or succeed. The difference in mindset requires a different brand of coaching. You're also coaching against some of the greatest minds in basketball, such as SVG and Doc Rivers. I think that in the NFL this translation stumps a lot of coaches too (see Schiano, Wandstedt and Saban), and maybe the Harbaugh and Carroll anomalies saw success because of the draft class they walked into and what stage their team was at when they joined.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
tequila4kapp said:
Because the pros are adults who make more money than the coach. That means the coach can't control the players and players can effectively do what they want.
Click to expand...

So it’s more an issue with the players being spoiled than a lack of good coaching.
 
I don't see him making the jump.
 
sleuth said:
Accountability. How do you hold grown men making more money than you u accountable? How do you gain their respect?
Click to expand...

The answer is easier said than done: WIN.

And still, as we have seen with someone the likes of Harbaugh, even winning doesn't guarantee success in longevity. There's a reason why certain organizations in the pros are ALWAYS around (SA Spurs, NE Patriots, for example) and that's the winning culture around the organization and the accountability that the players have to live up to in that system.
 
ddec said:
I don't see him making the jump.
Click to expand...

I don't either. Top 6 coaches in NCAA Mens Bball make avg of 5.4M and Jay Wright deserves every bit of that with recent performance. Admittedly, those coaches are at blue blood schools but I don't think the money jump is as huge as many think when going from NCAA as a top 10 coach to NBA. Brad Stevens went from Butler to Boston and makes just over 3.5M, which is about 6th in the NCAA.
 
I don't think the Pros want to be "coached", but money talks for these guys...can't blame them and there will always be another college job waiting for them.
 
I think one of the biggest differences between being college and pro coaches is that to be a successful college coach you have to be an excellent recruiter and in the pros results revolve more around the coaching and the system. I think that's why someone like Brad Stevens has lasted in the NBA, his success in college was based more on his coaching than getting a top recruiting class to Butler. Not saying he didn't have some good players at Butler, but a lesser coach wouldn't have gotten as far with what he had.
 
The Players' Unions set the rules the coach has to adhere to. In college the players adhere to the rules the coach sets. In college, if you are at a big school, you have more money and can recruit better talent. In the pros, you are handed a batch of players based on a salary cap, everybody has the same amount of money. The game is so much different because the talent is so much better. There is a smaller margin between the good teams and the bad teams.
 
Tadashi70 said:
So it’s more an issue with the players being spoiled than a lack of good coaching.
Click to expand...

Well maybe more that the power dynamic is different so different skill sets are required to get the players to do what you want them to do.

Also, It’s worth noting that the guy in Boston has done pretty well in the transition to the program.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
tequila4kapp said:
Well maybe more that the power dynamic is different so different skill sets are required to get the players to do what you want them to do.

Also, It’s worth noting that the guy in Boston has done pretty well in the transition to the program.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Look at the dynamic between Tyron Lue and Lebron James. In college, the coach is the star. In the pros, the players are the stars. At both levels, the stars have the power.
 
There are or have been a handful of coaches that transcend this dynamic between coach and player, but agree that NBA players are the stars and have the power but I don’t believe Jay Wright will make the jump




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top